


Crossroads

by akiraflame_tumblr



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-11 10:57:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3324962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akiraflame_tumblr/pseuds/akiraflame_tumblr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seventeen-year-old Daryl Dixon is desperate to get away from his abusive father. A lifetime of abuse and neglect have pushed the teenager to running away for a successful second attempt. While staying with his brother's friend, Martinez, Daryl learns of a demon who makes deals with humans in return for their souls. His desperation is enough to push him to ask the petite blonde demon, Beth Greene, for help. But there's something different about this girl and it's not just that she is a demon. There's a pull between them, an attraction that may cost them everything. Warnings for discussions about abuse and neglect, smut, and supernatural entities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heaven Knows

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Written in loving memory and in honor of my sister, Heather. 2/17/87 - 10/27/2014.
> 
> Here is the first chapter. Let me know what you think!

**Chapter One -**

Daryl winced as he pressed a small ice pack to his right eye, desperately trying to lower the swelling that was already happening. His father had been drunk off his ass by the time the seventeen year old had gotten home from school and hunting. Daryl had hoped that his father would have been passed out by the time he got home so that he could quickly cook up the rabbit he had tracked and killed and disappear to his room.

The plan had been for him to meet up with a friend of Merle's when it got dark and the two would run off and wait for the older Dixon brother to get out of prison. The two would then join up with Merle and do whatever it was that Merle did. That plan went out the window, however, when Will Dixon caught his youngest trying to sneak in to the house.

_"Where you been, boy?" Will Dixon growled. Daryl flinched on instinct at the sound of the old man's voice. The teen was glad that he had hid the rabbit in his backpack before walking into the piece of shit trailer his father called home. Otherwise, his father would have taken it and eaten it himself and left Daryl to starve._

_"I asked you a question," his father's voice had dropped an octave as he stood, his gaze stone cold. If Daryl hadn't been so used to the threats, the beatings and whippings, and the glares from his father, this one would have chilled his blood in his veins._

_Something had happened and had pissed Will Dixon off._

_"I's studyin'" Daryl replied in a mumble, "got exams tomorrow." It wasn't a lie, the youngest Dixon boy really did have exams tomorrow but he had no intention of stepping foot in that school again._

_After that was a blur of his father's fists._

Daryl gave a groan as he adjusted his position on his bed, various areas of his body protesting at the movements after the beating he had just gotten.

 _Screw it,_ he thought,  _I'm getting out of here tonight regardless._ The teen moved slowly, quietly, through his room. He packed a few of his clothes into a duffle bag before turning to the window in his room. The trailer he had the last ten years of his youth in was falling apart around them and Daryl knew from experience that the window could pop out easily due to this. The teenager popped the window out of its frame and dropped his duffle bag and backpack to the ground before climbing out. He moved quickly, running to his motorcycle and climbing on. Daryl looked back at the hellhole his father called home. Years of beatings, whippings, and isolation at the hands of his father flashed through his mind and the teen scowled, started his bike, and sped away.

Daryl hoped his father was drunk enough to not realize he had left, that maybe he had passed out and wouldn't notice his youngest son was missing again. The teen had tried to run away before a few years back but his father hadn't been as drunk during that attempt and had stopped him and gave him a whipping like no other in his life. It had nearly killed him.

Yet, his old man never noticed when he got lost in the woods behind the trailer and went missing for nine days.

If Will Dixon had heard and noticed his youngest son leaving this time and chose to care about it, chances were high that Daryl wouldn't survive the next beating his father gave him.

So he drove. He pushed the speed limits and left the town he had spent his entire life in, traveling south to where Merle's friend, Martinez, lived and was waiting for him. He could stay with Martinez until Merle was out of prison, which Daryl hoped wouldn't be too much longer. Not that he really cared for his brother. When he was younger, Merle Dixon protected Daryl and made sure he was fed and could defend himself. Then he got into drugs and thieving and started spending more time in juvie than he did with his brother.

It had been a few years since Daryl had last seen his brother in person but he hoped Merle would let him stay with him. Merle was all Daryl had left now.

The teen pulled the bike up to a small cabin and turned the engine. Daryl gathered his two bags as the front door opened and Martinez came out.

"Will sure did a number on you, Dixon." Martinez greeted, his hand grabbing one of Daryl's bags and heaving it over his shoulder. "Come on, we can talk inside." Daryl nodded and followed the older man into the house.

"Got a rabbit in my bag, never got to eat it," he muttered once they were inside.

"Go ahead and skin it, use the kitchen." Daryl nodded and dropped his bag in the living room, pulled the rabbit out of his backpack and walked to the open kitchen. "Got more than them bruises on your face, don't ya?"

"Ribs hurt a bit," Daryl replied as he skinned and gutted the rabbit.

"Good thing you're getting away from your old man then. Not sure how Merle will feel about having you tag along. Been a bit since I talked to him but he should be out of prison soon. As long as he had good behavior, that is, and your brother ain't one for good behavior when he's locked up."

"Gettin' away from him ain't gonna fix anything though. I'd feel better if he died." Daryl muttered that last line, his bitterness at the years of abuse and neglect getting to him.

"Only a demon could kill Will Dixon," Martinez responded. "Probably need one of them Crossroads Demons to do it, too. Your old man won't go down easily, that's for certain." Daryl froze and looked up at Martinez.

"What the hell is a Crossroads Demon?" he asked. Martinez's smile dropped and he shook his head.

"Nothin' good, man. You make a deal with them at a crossroads for something you want and they ask for something in return. It's always gonna be your soul though." Daryl's face must have shown something because Martinez pointed at him sharply, "don't go gettin' ideas, kid. I promise you, it ain't worth it, if any of that hocus pocus is true. Your soul would spend eternity in Hell. Your dad ain't worth that shit."

"Dixons belong in Hell, though."

"Nah, only the bad ones. Like your old man." Martinez took a drink from a beer he had beside his place on the couch and shrugged. "It's all just superstition and fake shit anyways, Dixon. Don't go thinkin' it might work. It's seriously just shit you see on TV."

"Is that how you heard about these demons? On TV?" Martinez's face darkened for a moment and he shook his head.

"Had a friend who thought it was a joke to try and scare us with it."

"And?" curiosity nibbled at Daryl's gut and he found himself  _needing_ to know more about these demons that make deals with humans.  _Maybe,_ just  _maybe,_ his old man could be taken care of in a way that would take away the fear of being found and beaten or killed.

Was he, Daryl, really at a point that he would wish his father dead? His father had wished the same on him a few times. Daryl knew because his father had told him several times. Was it really so awful for Daryl to wish the same on his old man? Martinez's sigh pulled Daryl from his thoughts and he focused his attention back on the man in the next room.

"My friend…he put some dirt from the graveyard, a bone of his childhood black cat's that he dug up, and a picture of himself in the box. Said that that was the way to bring the demon out. He took us to the center of a crossroads and buried it." A brief look of pain crossed his face before Martinez shook his head.

"Nothin' happened, man. It's all fake. Hurry up and eat. We can talk more tomorrow. I'm goin to bed." Daryl could tell that Martinez had lied.  _Something_ had happened to his friend.

The demon makes deals with humans. That means that if he didn't want to accept the deal, he could walk away, right?

But Daryl didn't have dirt from a graveyard, a bone from a cat, or a picture of himself…he had no way of summoning one. Maybe he could summon one by just going to a crossroads? He had actually driven through one on his way here. The teen finished cooking his rabbit and ate it quickly, thinking through all the reasons why he should or should not go through with the summoning.

Only when his fork  _clanked_ against the plate in his hands did he leave his thoughts and realize he cleared his plate of his meal.

 _What the hell,_ he thought. The crossroads wasn't too far from Martinez's cabin. He could walk there easily, clear his thoughts and maybe back out of this idea before he followed through with it, and see if he could summon a Crossroads Demon.

Daryl quietly placed his plate in the sink and made his way to the door, pausing slightly before opening and walking out, closing it with a soft click.

 _This is crazy. Demons aren't real,_ he thought as he walked. Heavy woods surrounded the cabin and the sounds of insects and animals surrounding him calmed his racing heart. The woods always kept him relaxed. In the woods, there was no screaming drunkard, laughing kids, concerned teachers or DHS workers.

 _If I make this deal, my soul will be doomed to hell._ The thought of being stuck in hell made Daryl's stomach clench.

_I'm already doomed to hell according to my dad. Making this deal would just stamp a "RUSHED DELIVERY" to my forehead and send me down there sooner._

"You're thinkin' awful hard," a soft, feminine voice said from ahead of Daryl. The voice scared Daryl, surprised him really, and he jumped, his eyes swiveling ahead of him. He was near the crossroads and hadn't realized it with how deep in his thoughts he had become. The moonlight was bright enough to illuminate a petite blonde girl standing in the center of the crossroads, a small smile on her face.

She was astoundingly beautiful with wide doe eyes that were a gorgeous blue that not even the darkness of the night could hide. She was wearing skinny jeans that were tucked into cowboy boots with an unbuttoned plaid shirt on top of a loose tank top. The young woman in front of him had long blonde hair that hung in thick ringlets down her back.

"Wh…what are you doin out here so late and by yourself?" Daryl asked, unable to stop himself. The blonde shrugged, her smile widening and her eyes raking over him. The motion made the teenager feel a combination of discomfort and something else, like a pull that wanted him to get closer to the young woman eyeing him.

"I went out for a walk. What are  _you_ doing out here by yourself so late?"

"I…"  _I'm wanting to summon a Crossroads Demon,_ Daryl thought sarcastically. The woman's smile widened and Daryl felt his discomfort grow.

"Going for a walk, trying to decide if summoning a demon is going to help you solve your problems?" she asked, making Daryl take a step back in surprise.

"Wha…"

"This is a crossroads, you looked upset and torn on a decision and you're walking towards this area…I'm just assuming." The blonde's smile turned wolfish and Daryl found it to be the most terrifying smile he had ever seen. The pull grew stronger, though, and Daryl found his eyes looking the young woman over.

"Is that why you're here? To summon a demon?" he asked, his tone turning defensive. The blonde shook her head, her smiling turning sweet again.

"I'm here because  _you_ summoned me."

"What? I don't even know who you are!" he responded, doubt filling him completely for the first time since he left the cabin.

"Granted, you didn't have the traditional way of summoning me, you know with the graveyard dirt, bone of a black cat, and a photograph of yourself? That's really just a formality.  _I_ personally come anytime I see someone in need of a deal." The blonde walked towards Daryl and gestured for him to walk closer to her, something he did without thinking about. "My name's Beth, Beth Greene."

"Daryl," he began before Beth interrupted him.

"I know who you are, Daryl Dixon. You've had a rough seventeen years, haven't you? What can I do for you?"

"How do you know…" the teenager began again. His words were cut off when Beth smiled at him, her eyes changing to a red color that stopped Daryl's heart and froze his blood. It was then that he realized all of the animal and insect noises had stopped, that the area around him had been quiet since moments before he saw the blonde. "You're….you're the crossroads demon?"

"And you're here to ask for my help. Now that the pleasantries are over, what can  _I_ do for  _you_?"


	2. Goin' To Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Written in loving memory and in honor of my sister, Heather. 2/17/87 - 10/27/2014.

**Chapter Two –**

Daryl gulped and watched as the blonde-haired demon walked around him while he stood in the center of the crossroads. He felt like a prey she was stalking and it sent a strange rush of heat through his body.

"I want away from my old man," he mumbled. Beth let out a growl behind him and he turned in time to see the sneer on her face and her blue eyes turn red before she cooled her expression and met his eyes.

"Your father certainly is a pig. I'm a demon and the thought of abusing a child to the point of him being near death is still enough to make my blood boil." Beth's eyes blinked back into their beautiful blue hue and she met his gaze. "However, I can tell that you are currently away from him. Why should I do anything about it when it seems you are capable of doing something on your own?"

"I've tried getting away in the past and I always wind up back there,  _somehow._ I don't want to risk that. I'm done this time, I'm never going back. I want to make sure that he can't get me, that I can't be forced to go back." Beth looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

"Okay, I will help you deal with your father and help prevent you from having to ever return to him. However, I am curious on what you plan to do from this point forward? Are you planning on being with Martinez for the next few years?"

"I want to join up with Merle…"

"In prison?" Beth interrupted, making Daryl sigh.

"I'm waiting for him to get out."

"Hmm, how about this: I take care of Daddy Dixon and help you get reunited with Merle sooner than you think. In return…you join me in Hell in ten years time."

"Ten years? That seems rather quick," Daryl responded, making Beth shrug.

"I've made deals for a year before. Ten is being generous. Do you still have your doubts about spending eternity in hell?"

"It's where I was headed anyways," Daryl muttered. The blonde in front of him let out a laugh and shook her head.

"No, you have the heart and path of redemption," Beth's smile widened as Daryl stepped closer to her, confusion on his face. "I'll give you your reunion with Merle and make sure you're not split up again due to his stupidity and save yourself from your daddy problems. You become  _mine_  in ten years. Do we have a deal?" Daryl's thoughts were twisting and turning through doubts. The blonde walked closer to him and he could feel his blood heating up the closer she got.

This pull and urge to be closer to the blonde in front of him was confusing and frustrating.

"What bullshit demon…magic shit are you doing to me?" he asked her, his tone revealing his inner frustrations. The blonde froze and blinked at him in confusion.

"I don't  _have_  magicand I'm not doing anything to you. I want to seal my deal."

"But I feel…"

"What?" the blonde asked, interrupting the youngest Dixon again. "Scared?" She was teasing him, but the teenager could see something in her eyes.

 _Maybe she could feel the pull too._  The thought gave the teenager some courage and he took in a deep breath, hoping it would help spur his courage more.

"No. A…pull. A…heat." Daryl whispered. Beth was close enough now that she caught his whisper, her eyes watching his lips as he spoke. "You think I'm crazy now…"

 _Why do I care if she thinks I'm crazy?_ Daryl could feel her breath on his face now and it sent a rush through his body, his heart racing.

"No. I feel it too," she admitted. "Do we have a deal, Daryl Dixon?" Daryl thought back through his childhood. His father never gave a damn about him. Why should he give a damn about him in return?

"Yes, ten years. I'm yours." Beth smiled a brilliant smile and the teenager felt his lips quirk in return, her smile infectious.

"Let's seal the deal then. I always seal them with a kiss," the blonde raised her head slightly and Daryl unconsciously lowered his to meet her halfway, his lips finding hers in a gentle touch. A spark shot through his body and their lips met again, more hungrily this time as hands grabbed at the other's clothes or tangled in hair to keep the other from pulling away.

Daryl opened his eyes as Beth pulled away slightly, her eyes fluttering open to show their red coloring had returned, her pupils still seen through the hue had blown black. Her skin was flushed as she caught her breath. She was turned on by their kiss. Just like he was. She met his gaze for a moment before glancing back at his lips.

"The Pure Hearted Dixon is  _mine_ ," she mumbled. She was boasting about the deal she had just made with him. "You're meant to go above and now... _I_ get to keep you." Before Daryl had a chance to think about what she was saying, the blonde's lips were on his, her tongue tracing his bottom lip. His mouth opened and accepted her into it.

Daryl had kissed girls before. He had been turned on by girls before, but he never felt  _this_ rush and burn of arousal as it ignited and dashed through his blood, rushing south, as his fingers tangled in the thick, curly hair of the blonde in front of him, their bodies pulled flush as they kissed. There was something about the blonde that did this to him.

A moan broke the silence that surrounded the two and the blonde in his arms tensed, realization of what they were doing crashing down on both of them. They pushed apart and moved several paces away from each other, their breathing heavy as they stared the other down.

Beth wanted nothing more than to pull the young man in front of her to her and continue kissing him. She had never felt that way towards a human before and it infuriated her. The way her body was humming with need for him only added to her anger and she turned away.

"Stupid, stupid…" she muttered to herself.  _She_ had been the one to moan. This…normal human had gotten her so worked up with a simple kiss, which had never happened before.

"Do I…need to sign something?" Daryl's question broke the silence between them and Beth took a deep breath before shaking her head.

"The deal is sealed." Her voice was shaking and she fought to steady it. The blonde gave in to her temptation and walked closer to the youngest Dixon. "You're mine in ten years. Go back to the cabin. I'll take care of your father tomorrow." The blonde leaned in and pressed another kiss to Daryl's lips, fighting the temptation to resume where they had previously been with their making out. "Sleep," she muttered against his lips and all he knew was darkness.


	3. Goin' Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: In memory of my sister. Today, April 26th, marks six months of her being gone and I'm no better than I was the day I got the call she had passed…
> 
> This chapter is also dedicated to sheriffandsteel and beyondmythought_s.
> 
> Chapter inspired by "Beast" by Nico Vega, "Devil's Backbone" by The Civil Wars, and "Goin' Down" by The Pretty Reckless.

**Chapter 3 –**

Daryl's blue eyes opened and he found himself on the couch in the cabin, a thin blanket covering him. He had no recollection of walking back to the cabin the night before and he briefly wondered if maybe he had dreamed the whole interaction with Beth, the crossroads demon. If it had been a dream, it had ended on a very good note. He could still feel her lips on his and just remembering the blonde was enough to make the heat rush through his body again.

With a groan, the teen stretched and rubbed at his face in frustration and exhaustion. The sound of crinkling paper made the teen freeze mid-stretch. Daryl slid a hand up to the pillow his head was resting on and grabbed the small slip of paper that rested there.

_11 o'clock at your father's if you want to be there._

_Beth_

"So it wasn't a dream…" the teen mumbled. He really had made a deal with a crossroads demon. Beth. She had told him she would take care of his father but he had never thought to ask how. The way she had worded it made him think that she was going to kill him and Daryl found that he would be okay with her doing so.

 _How would she do it? Would she kill him or would she just frighten him into leaving Merle and me alone?_ A quick glance at the clock showed it to be shortly after eight a.m. making Daryl heave a sigh. If he went, he would need to leave soon.  _How is Beth going to get there?_ It was a strange question to think about but Daryl had never been more out of his depth than he was with this new deal.

Ten years…it wasn't long. He would be twenty-seven when she came for him, when he died and went to Hell. Honestly, he didn't know what to think or feel about it. The young hunter shook his head to clear his thoughts and refocused on the decision of whether he would go to his old man's home or not to see what Beth would do.

"Will she actually be there or will he just keel over, killed by some imaginary or unseen foe?" the teen asked himself aloud. If Beth was going to actually be there, the teen found himself  _wanting_ to go but not to see what she did to his father.

But to see her.

The blonde had stressed the word  _mine_ many times during their deal and while they kissed.

_You become_ _**mine** _ _in ten years._

_The Pure Hearted Dixon is_ _**mine.** _

_**I**_ _get to keep you_.

Why was Beth, a crossroads demon, so thrilled about making a deal with him, a Dixon doomed to Hell anyways? The whole interaction with the blonde had made absolutely no sense to the youngest Dixon son.

"Give me a ride and I'll answer your questions," a soft, sultry voice cut through the silence of the cabin's living room, making Daryl leap off the couch and stare wide-eyed at the blonde in front of him. Her clothes had changed from the night before. She still wore jeans and boots but her top was a v-neck that hugged her form. "I do  _love_ motorcycles. Maybe I'll enjoy riding with you." Beth's voice was flirtatious as she moved from in front of the door towards the young hunter.

"How…how did you get in here?" Daryl stuttered, unable to break eye contact with the blonde as she slowly walked closer to him.

"Through the door, of course. I'm a demon, not a wizard," Beth teased as she finally stopped in front of him. Daryl fought the urge to kiss her, to wrap her in his arms and give in to her body that truly was sinful to look at.

"You're the definition of a teenaged young man. All hormones." Beth rose on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. "I can read you like a book, Daryl." Daryl tried to blow her off, tried giving a shrug of indifference or act like she was wrong, but he couldn't. This woman had something over him, something that he had never felt before. It didn't make sense. It frustrated him.

"Why me?" he asked breathily. Beth shrugged, the look on her face honest and momentarily as confused as his.

"Perhaps the goodness in you just wants to fix the badness in me," she replied with a laugh. Her ability to act indifferent to this strange pull between them only added to Daryl's irritation and he stepped away from her, ignoring how his body wanted nothing more than to be back where it was, close to her, in her.

"It isn't funny," he retorted, his eyes boring into hers, making her smile slip off of her face.

"I wanted your soul because it is  _pure._ You are destined to go  _above,"_ Beth's voice turned mocking, her eyes rolling upwards as she said it, "and the way I get my enjoyment is by taking that pure soul and  _tainting_ it."

"Which you have now, by putting a "Hellbound" stamp on my forehead. So why is this," Daryl gestured between them, "still here? Why is my body and mind so desperate to…" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. Admitting that his body craved the blonde's would be awkward and Daryl loathed feeling awkward. When Daryl's blue eyes finally met Beth's again, he was shocked by how uncertain she looked. How, dare he say it,  _scared_ she looked.

"I don't know," she admitted finally. "It's something I am going to look into…Whatever it is, it makes me want to stay close to you…" The blonde's spine straightened and she tilted her head towards the door. "Let's go see Daddy Dixon. I don't want to be late to my own appointment."

Daryl watched as the blonde left the cabin, his feet planted to the floor and his thoughts warring with the decision of going to see whatever the demon had planned for his father or staying put and avoiding the man. Not only that, but the blonde had revealed that this connection, or whatever you wanted to call it, was unusual. She had never experienced it either, so it wasn't just because she was a demon that had him feeling this way.

Bright sunlight blinded Daryl for a moment and he blinked his blue eyes furiously. When had he walked outside? He had no recollection of choosing to follow the blonde but here he stood, beside his bike staring at the petite woman who now straddled the bike, her doe eyes looking up at him innocently. The demon slid back on the seat to allow him room to sit down in front of her and Daryl did so without a thought.

Once the teen was seated, Beth's arms wrapped around his waist, her hands sliding across his abdomen to lock her fingers together, her palms flat on his lower abdomen, her pinkies brushing the top hem of his jeans. His muscles jumped under her touch and he had to fight back a groan at having her  _so close,_ but  _so far_ from where he would really like her to be. The young hunter focused his attention on his bike, starting it and directing it away from the cabin and back in the direction of his father's home. He wished the drive would go by quickly; the blonde's presence behind him and around his waist was sheer torture. Their bodies were flushed together, her chin on his shoulder, but he still wanted more. He wondered if they ever did give in to the lust, if maybe the pull would go away.

He wanted to ask but the thought of giving in worried him. If they did give in, would it go away or would it get worse? Why was the pull so strong to begin with?

The ride was slow, slower than any of the longest rides he had ever been on. His thoughts wouldn't stop crashing through his brain and he found it amazing that when they finally arrived at his father's piece of junk house, that his distractions while driving hadn't killed them both.

Beth's arms tightened around him and her lips met his neck for a brief second before she slid back and away from him, her leg lifting off the bike and her body settling calmly beside the bike. The blonde's hands were dainty as they came in front of him, one settling on each side of his neck as she turned his head to face her, her lips brushing his cheek and lips as he turned.

"Come on, we gotta go visit Daddy Dixon," she muttered against his lips before stepping away from the teen, the smirk on her face telling Daryl she knew what he was feeling and thinking the whole ride there. Daryl muttered a curse and shook his head, his heart racing at the idea of facing his father again.

"Daryl, he can't touch you with me here," Beth stated, her voice serious as she took in the sweat beading on his forehead and how he was rubbing his clammy palms on his jeans. She turned and began walking towards the run down trailer. Daryl had never felt more ashamed of where he had spent many years of his life. The walls were barely hanging onto the trailer, rot eating the wood and pulling it off the framing of the house. The only part of his former living quarters that looked livable was the small shed beside the house where his father stashed the moonshine.

"You don' know that," he finally muttered, his eyes going to the windows of the piece of shit house, looking for his father to be waiting for him. Despite his soft voice, the blonde heard him. Daryl had barely blinked before the blonde had her fingernail against his throat, her eyes red and furious as she stared him down.

"I'm a demon, Daryl, if I don't want him harming you, he  _won't_ ," she hissed. Fear clenched Daryl's gut and he nodded mutely. Beth smiled tightly, her eyes still red and furious at his doubt, making her smile as disturbing as her anger had been. Her finger moved away from his Adam's apple and Daryl sighed in relief.

"Come on, I don't like to be late to my own appointments!" The demon called back and Daryl found his feet following her, despite the fear still tight in his chest and stomach.

Beth stepped up to the door, looked at Daryl with her brilliant blue eyes and heart-stopping smile, and lifted her hand and knocked. Three times. Loudly.

"I always knock three times. All demons do, actually. Something about the threes. They're beautiful." The words chilled Daryl and he almost hoped that his father wasn't home.

The cursing on the other side of the door told him that it was too late. The door opened and Daryl stared at his father from behind Beth.

"Hi Daddy Dixon!" The blonde greeted cheerfully before either of the Dixons could say anything. Will Dixon's eyes narrowed at Beth before searching Daryl for a clue on who the blonde was.

"Who the fuck are you?" Daryl felt his heart race as his father stared at the blonde. The way Beth was tensing and straightening her spine, Daryl knew what his father was about to see.

"Don't you recognize a nightmare when you see one?" Beth's voice had dropped the cheerful tone and from the horror on Will Dixon's face, Daryl was guessing her blue eyes had changed to their redden hue. "If not, now you do."


	4. Burn

A/N: In memory of my sister, Heather – 2/17/1987 – 10/24/2014. She always believed in my writing and helped inspire new ideas.

This is also for you, my readers. Thank you for continuing to love my writings and encourage me through these dark times.

This chapter was inspired by "Burn" by The Pretty Reckless.

Chapter Four – Burn

Daryl felt guilt and terror course through his veins when his father's wide, horrified eyes met his.

"Wha-what the hell?" Will Dixon's face paled and he swayed on his feet as Beth continued to stare at him, her lips curling upwards in a smirk.

"It's rude to make your guests wait outside, Will…let us in," Beth ordered. Will shook his head dumbly, making Beth sigh in frustration. "You know how I knocked three times, Will Dixon?" Guilt gnawed at Daryl's stomach as his father's face turned ashen.

"It's because I'm a demon and demons, in case you didn't know, like to mock the holy trinity. You know, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?" Beth let out a small giggle, "we just love to make fun of them every chance we get. Hence the three knocks. Now, budge. Over." With this, the blonde shoved passed Will and entered the filthy trailer, her feet kicking beer cans and oddly shaped cigarette trays.

"What have you brought to my house?!" Will hissed at Daryl, his hands tightening into shaky fists.

"You know, it's rude to call a person a "what" instead of a "who." I feel so offended," Beth stated dramatically, her face dropping her innocent smile and replacing it with a depressed look, her lower lip quivering.

"You are no person," Will growled to the blonde, his fists tightening more. Beth attempted to look shocked, her hand going to her chest as if she were asking "who me?"

"You need to leave," Daryl looked at his father in shock. Was his father really trying to command Beth, who had already proven that she was a demon and was probably capable of more than Daryl could comprehend, into leaving? "You are not welcome here. I don't want not filthy, slutty, demonic bitch in my house and you can take him," Will gestured to Daryl, "with you." A soft laughter rang from Beth's lips and Daryl felt his blood turn to ice. This was not good.

"You know what I am, what I am capable of and you still insult me? You are not very bright, Will Dixon. I am welcome here. Daryl invited me and I can't, no, won't leave until my part of our deal is over." Will's head whipped around to look at Daryl, fear showing itself to the youngest Dixon son through his father's eyes. "We have a special area in Hell for child abusers and you, Will Dixon…oh, we are so excited to have you. We have been preparing since you were born, enjoying just the idea of all of the various things we can do to you…I can imagine your screams now…" Beth's eyes closed and her face flushed, her lips curling into a smile, "just the thought of your screams…it makes my blood pump."

What bravado and bravery Daryl had seen in his father's face and body language vanished with Beth's words. His father turned back to face him, his eyes dark.

"What have you done, boy?!" Will Dixon shouted, his body tensing to hit Daryl. The teen flinched, his body unconsciously preparing itself for a blow of some sort, but nothing ever came. Beth's petite body stood in front of the youth, his father frozen with his hand raised.

"You will not hurt him ever again, Dixon," Beth's voice was gravelly. "We have a deal. He's free from you. He's mine now and you will not touch him." Will's eyes grew impossibly larger and flitted between the blonde and his youngest son. Beth turned and wrapped her arms around Daryl, her lips instantly finding the teen's and molding against them. The teen stood stiffly, uncertain, his eyes welded to Beth's closed eyes. His body craved more, his hands itching to wrap around the blonde, to feel her skin. Before he could give in, the blonde broke the kiss, her blue eyes meeting his.

"Ready, Daryl?" her voice was soft, almost loving and Daryl found himself nodding.

"Yeah…I thought you were going to…" Daryl swallowed, his eyes going to his father's.

"Kill him? Of course I am, silly! I just wanted to see if you were ready for it," Beth giggled, her hand squeezing his shoulder as if this was just a joke. Daryl felt his heart thud heavily, painfully, against his ribs as the blonde turned suddenly, her hands flying to Will's chest and giving it a small push.

"Boo," Beth stated, her hands pushing Will backwards. Daryl's eyes widened when Will suddenly gasped and doubled over before dropping backwards and landing with a thud on the floor in front of the couch, unmoving.

"There," Beth called cheerfully before turning back to Daryl and wrapping herself back around him, her lips finding his in what Daryl knew should be a searing kiss. It wasn't. His blood had frozen in his veins and his eyes were glued to his father's body. His father was dead. Beth had just…killed him, right then and there…and while Daryl's body was warming and reacting to Beth's body and her lips, his brain could not catch up. His heart and stomach felt like they were full of lead.

"Beth," he heard his voice mutter, "stop."

"What's wrong, Daryl? Aren't you happy?" Beth's voice was soft, whispery, sultry, in his ear. "This is what you wanted. You're free of your father…Kiss me." Daryl's brain finally caught up to the situation and he shook his head.

"You just killed my father...in front of me. The last thing I was is to fuck right now!" Beth laughed, her hand grasping him through his jeans. He was hard, he knew it, and her touch, even through the denim of his jeans, made him gasp, his eyes fluttering shut.

"I think fucking is closer than being the last thing you want to do, Daryl. Seems to me, you want me as badly as I want you right now." Her fingers were stroking him, gently, and he had to fight the urge to strip just so he could feel her on his skin.

"No, Beth…" he grunted. She was tempting him, trying to pull him further into her and he knew it…and then, she was gone.

"Fine…ruin my fun…Guess I'll be leaving now, Daryl," Beth's lips found Daryl's once more and he felt himself nearly cave, his eyes closing against his will. Her lips lifted into a smirk against his before she stepped back. "I'll see you soon, Daryl. Really soon." The teen released his breath, his body craving more and his mind screaming for the blonde.

"Beth…" he muttered, his eyes fluttering open. She was gone. He was alone. Just him and his father's body in the run-down trailer he used to call home.


End file.
